Liquid-level gauge



. Patented .Augfill, 1926.

UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BI GHAR D STAR, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LIQUID-LEVEL GAUGE,

Application filed July 5, 1924. Serial No. 724,328.

r This invention relates to gauges for liquid containing tanks and particularlyto an improved gauge for-oil. tanks of ships or other containers where the oil or' liquid is partially above and partially below or all above and all below the gauge.

An object of the invention is to provide 7 an improved construction wherein the inthe level of 0 "elevation and partly in section, showing in a more or less schematic manner one embodiment of the. invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional. view through an actuator embodying certain features of the invention.

Figure 3'isan edge view of the indicating structureshown inFigure 1, part being shown in section. U

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1' indicates a beam of a ship to which the pump ,2 is connected and also to which the indicating member 3 is connected. The ship is provided with what is known as a double bottom 4 andb'etw'een this bottom-and the outside bottom 5 oil 6' is placed. This oil may be as shown in Figure 1 or may completely fill the space 7 at the lowermost point of the ship and extend up partly at each side. Also it is evident that the device could be applied directly to a tank arranged in the ship or at any other. desired point and function in the same manner so that the term container or tank will indicate not only.

with an annu ar ring10 co-acting with the annular flange 11 of the hood or casing 12 whereby the ed e section 13 of the diaphragm 14 may e rigidly clamped in place bv. suitable screws or bolts 15. The diaor spacing the operating parts 1 phragm 14 may be made of suitable mate-,

rial, as for instance, metal. The center of the diaphragm 14 fits over the threadd extension 16 of the tube. 17 and bears against the shoulder 18. A nut 19 presses the diaphragm against the shoulder 18 until an air and oil tight connection-is provided. I

It will be noted that the tube 17 is of less diameter than the pipe 20 sufiiciently to provide an appreciable air space therebetween whereby air may ass from the chamber 21 upwardly into t e air space 22 and from thence ass the valve member 23 into the tube 17- t rough the aperture 24. The pipe 20 is'screwed into the hood 12 and opens at the lower end into the chamber 21 while the upper end is internally threaded for receiving the valve member 23 which is screwed therein and so located that when the parts are in'the position shown in Figure 2 this valve member will close the passa e-way or aperture 24.

en the oil is as shown in Figure l, the pressure thereof will actv on the diaphragm 14 and move the same to the position shown in Figure 2. This will be the normal position and the parts will remain in this osition until sufiicient air has been pumpe 'into the chamber 21 to cause the tube 17 to move away from the valve member 23. A very small 'pipe 25 is connected with hood 12 and opens into chamberv 21, said pipe extending to the indicating member '3 which as heretofore stated, 'may be located in any part of the ship. The pump 2 is interposed in the .pipe 25, said pump being provided with a cook 26 and a check valve 27 which will permit air to pass from the u mp into. the pipe 25 but will prevent air rom passing in the opposite direction.

ure 3, is connected to a mercury ,container 28, said mercury container being also in free communication with the glass tube 29 arranged adjacent the graduations 30. Under normal conditions, the mercury is .as shown in Fi res 1 and. 3 but when air is pumped intot e chamber 21, a corresponding pressure will be created in the upper part of the mercury container 28 where y a certain quantity of mercury will be orced upmadly in the tube 29. 1

In order to get an accurate reading, the pump 2 is operated until the observer no: tices that the mercury is moving up and down withthe'pump but making no further permanent upward movement. This a "action is producedwhen the pressure. in the chamber '21 is the same as the pressure outv away from the valve member 23 and thereby .permit the air to escape into the oil-which side of this chamber. When thisis the case, any additional air forced into the pipe will cause. the mercury immediately to rise and also will-cause the tube 17 -.to move will relieve the pressure in chamber 21 and permit the mercury to drop back-to 1 ts balancin'gposition; When this bobbing'u'p and down of the mercuryis observed, the operation of the pump 2 is stopped and as soon as the mercury is quiet, a reading is taken which mdlcates the pressure in the tank and, consequently, indicatesthe depth of.

oil. The graduations are preferably formed to show weight,- as for instance, the

number of tons of oil in the container. The

size of the bore of tube 29 is such that the weight of the mercury w'ill counterbalance the pressure of the oil-acting on'diaphragm 4 and, consequently, the pressure of a1r act-- i'ngthrough tl1e9tube'25.. As the air in chamber 21 is increased by pump *2 until it equals the pressure of'the oil. on theopposite side ofdiaphragm 14, the additional pressure will becontinually actingon themercury and will gradually cause the sameto rise until the. additional pressure in chamber 21 ceaseswhich occurs when the same 'tion against the inner surface of the glass equals the pressure of oil against the diato prevent the same from breaking the tube while the lower end'of the wire is exposed.

The lower end of the wire may be at any Y desired point, as for instance, a point which would indic'ate' that the tan'k is tilled up to 90 of its capacity. The wire 30 is cona nected to a signal member 31 which may be a lamp, horn, bell or other signal 'mem ber. Thisvsignal member isvconnected to the pipe 25 by a' suitable'conductor 32, there being a suitable source of current 33 interf posed in this conductor. This signal device What I claim is:

is desirable when the tankis being filled.

merged in the liquid in the container and 1 A gauge tor containers and the like,- comprising a member adapted to be subpositioned near the bottom, said member in- 4 cluding means defining an air. chamber, said means having a moving part and a stationary part, said moving part havinga ,vent adapted to be opened when the-moving part is 'moved, an air pipe connected to said chamber, a'pump for pumping air into said air pipe, a mercury container connected with one end of-said pipe, and a transparent member having a bore for receivingmercury when'the Same is pressed by air from said air pipe, said mercury indicating by its permanent level when the air in said chamber equals the pressure exteriorly of the chain- 's ber.

2. In a gauge for containers and the like,

amem-ber comprising a casing having an open face, a diaphragm closing the open face of said casing, a tubular member connected 'centrally'of the diaphragm and, ex-

tending therethrough, said tubular member being open at the bottom end and rovided -with an aperture at the top end, a

pipesurrounding said tubularvmem ber and spaced'therefrom, said pipe being connect ed with said casing 011 the'side opposite said open face, a valve membermounted in thetop endof said pipe normallyifitting into the aperture of said tubular member for closing the same, and means for directing' air into the chamber formed by said d aphragm and said cas ng.

3. ft an actuator comprising a casing having an n a gauge "for containers and thc like,

open side, means for directing air into said casing, a diaphragm closing the openslde' of the casing, a tube opn at both ends con-' nected to said diaphragm and presenting a passage-way through the diaphragm, a pipe connected with said casing and positioned so that its bore will continually be in communication with the interior of the casing, a valve member carried at the end' i of said pipe opposite the end connected with the casing, said tube being of such a length as to engage said valve member when the tube is raised a certaindistance by said diaphragm whereby 1 when the diaphragm is moved in one direction-the'chamber formed by 'said casing and diaphragm will be sealed by said valve member and when moved in the opposite direction said chamber ;will be vented through said tube.

RICHARD STAR. 

